How do locals know which market vendor will sell out first?
Shortages usually leave clues before they happen.
Visitors usually notice empty stalls after products are gone. Experienced shoppers learn to recognize the warning signs beforehand.
The hidden mechanism is demand concentration. Certain vendors repeatedly attract customers because of quality, pricing, freshness, or reputation.
Imagine a vendor known for bringing only a limited quantity of seasonal fruit. Regular shoppers quickly learn that waiting until midday often means missing out.
A second-order effect develops because knowledge of future scarcity attracts even more early buyers. The expectation of selling out helps create the sell-out itself.
People often think scarcity begins when products disappear. Scarcity often begins when enough people expect them to disappear.
